BRITTLE FRACTURE OF STRUCTURAL MEMBERS CONSIST OF DIFFERENT STEEL MATERIALS

Abstract

In beam-to-column welded connection of steel structure, brittle fracture may occur from two or more fracture initiation points, e.g. scallop, end-tab, weld metal and HAZ. As a basic study on the local fracture criteria, the fracture of a steel member that is composed of more than one element, such as a welded joint, is investigated. Fractural experiments on steel elements with notches are carried out, by using two materials that have different fracture toughness. The effects of the notches on the brittle failure and the fractural features of the composition of two different steel materials are comprehended in this paper.